Today I have decided to start researching some of the on-line options for ordering raw foods ingredients and products. Now note, I have not yet ordered, but for now I will compare the options out there. Once I do place an order, I will definitely post feedback.
The first site that came up on google and I checked out was that of "The Raw Food World Store." http://www.therawfoodworld.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=100148_100278&zenid=v5n3hm9hod6uovb8t1as0trfj6. To their credit, they seem to have a large variety, equipment, food, and more. However, some of their prices seem astronomical for items that are generally found in your local natural market. Notably, I was surprised at some of the prices for dried beans, such as mung, which are available in natural markets organically grown, usually a couple of dollars per pound. On this site, they were being sold for $9.98 per pound! Other items such as alfalfa seeds and red clover seeds, from which one grows sprouts, were equally pricey and even if they are not sold on the shelf of your local market, could likely be special ordered by the pound for a fraction of the price! To save money, I recommend checking out what is available or can be purchased through your local markets. You can often special order items that are not generally stocked, if you ask to speak with someone in charge of buying for the store. So many of the items that you plan to sprout, such as beans and grains, are ordered more cheaply in this manner, as well as many "grocery" items. However, they did have "sproutable millet" which interests me, as the millet generally available is hulled and I believe will not sprout, so for $7.95, that might be worth it, if you really want to try sprouting millet! Otherwise, I am going to try sprouting the quinoa and buckwheat that are apparently raw, from Whole Foods, before investing in the "sproutable" forms sold on this site for several dollars more per pound. Other items, such as equipment seemed to have reasonable prices, though I admit I have not shopped around lately, so comparison shopping is certainly recommended. However, they do offer a good amount of specialty items and novelty type foods (it was like being a child in a candy shop....) that might warrant the price for an occasional luxury.
Next I googled raw dried fruit. We can easily buy dried fruit at our local natural market, but rarely does it tell you anything about where and how it is processed. I found a farm that sells sun dried organic raisins, dates, nectarines, and peaches, cherries, apricots, and figs. However, it appears that much of the fruit is out of stock / not available until the fall. That is really not such a problem, as this time of year, there is so much fresh, raw fruit available, better to eat that , and it is good to know that as fresh fruit supplies diminish, there is a raw, less processed option out there! Here is the website if you want to check it out for future use http://www.rawfromthefarm.com/Pages/SunDriedFruit.aspx. But keep in mind, dried fruit should only be eaten in moderation, as it is very concentrated, but when you are craving something sweet, it can help satisfy the craving in a more ideal manner than most of the treat options available, and utilizing it to make your own treats can be more economical and allows you to control how much of each ingredient is used. Nowadays, agave syrup has become very popular in treats marketed as raw, but I have heard interesting debate over whether it is ideal and certainly not all agave is raw. Really raw agave may not be as easily found as we would like to think. Items such as honey are labeled raw, though they are heated up to about 160 degrees, I believe in the filtering process. It appears that there may be similar issues when it comes to agave. So if you trying to eat strictly raw, it is worth calling companies to double check their processing practices.
Well the post is getting long, so I will sign off for today and share more tomorrow. Until then, I hope you have a fabulous day.
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